Needle threader



July 5,- 1932. l A. c. LoNcaFr-:LLow 1,865,931

NEEDLE THREADER Filed Feb. 27. 1929 www ATTORNEY Patented July 5, 1932liJNl'llaD'f 'sine-rjlas PATENT 01u-ucr:A

Anna c. LoNeFELLoW, or LARcHMoNnNnW Yom:

NEEDLE THREADER i Application mea February 27, 1929. serial No. 343,086.

The present invention relates to improvements 1n sewing devices orappliances, and more particularly it pertains to a device forfacilitating the threading ofv needles'.V

It is one object of the present invention, to provide a novel needlethreading deviceby which a plurality of needles may be threaded at avsingle operation.

A feature of the present invention consists in the provision of meansfor hol rality of'needles in such a manner that the ding a plueyes ofthe several needleswill occupy aposition in direct alinement with oneanother.

Another feature ofthe present invention is solto construct the devicethat after the needles have all been threaded, they may be singly'removed together with a 'length of thread withoutdisturbingthe nee movedand without disturbing with which they `are threaded.

dles not rethe thread Other features of the invention relate tocertain-noveland improved constructions, ar-

rangements and combinations of p arts hereinafter described andparticularly pointed out in the claims, the advantages of whichwill bereadily understood and appreciat skilled inthe art. Y

The invention will be clearly ed by those understood from theaccompanying drawing illustrating the invention in a preferred form, andthe following n detailed description struction therein shown.

' In the drawing- Figure 1 is a view Vof the conin elevation, ,n partlyin section of a Yneedle threadingk 'device Vconstructed inaccordance`with the ventlon;

Figure 2 1s a vertical sectionaly present inview thereof taken-on theline 2 2 of Figure 1; t. Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view thereoftaken on thejline3--3V ofFigure 1;

and

Y Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 1.-4 ofFigure 1. y

In the `accompanying drawing ence numeral 5 designates a base thereferwhich may be formed of any material suitable for kthe purpose, andas more clearly show 3, thebase 5 is preferably of elon and has Valateral extension 6.

n in Figure gated form will Vbe in alinement with each other.

`extending portion 9; The vertically-extending portion 9,is providedwith a needle receiving slotor passage llwhich extends through the upperface'thereof as shown in Figure 3. 60 The member7 maybe formed from anysuitable material solong as it is possessed of sufficient. rigidity tomaintain the needles in vertical position. In connection with the needleholding means, separate means is provided to maintain .theneedles insuch position that their eyes will at all vtimes be in alinement-` withone another. Y .In one embodiment of the invention, this Ylastmentionedmeans consists of two resilient plates l2 secured in any desired manneras by rivets to the sides of the vertically-extending portion 9 of theneedle holdingf member 7 as shown in Figure 2 of the drawing..These'resilient plates 12 arek opposed with relation to each other, andare vso shaped that-the space between them forms a'needle'passaga'thewidth of whichis slightly less than the thickness or diameter of theneedles which are to be held therein, thus providing, when the needlesare placed lin the holder 7, resilient means for clamping and properlypositioning the, needles with, the Y eyes thereof` in alinement with oneanother. To further insure that theseveral needles willbe retained inposition with their eyes in alinement, the needles may be provided at lthat pointV at which they are engaged by the plates 12 with slightlyflattened portions 15, whichare not, however, of sufficient dimensionasto interfere with the sewing operation i of the needles. If theselattenedportions 15 n be arranged diametrically opposite each other oneach needle and in a plane at right angles to the axis of the eye of theneedle, it will be obvious -that when the needles are positioned in theholder 7, withV their flattened portions engaged by the members 12, theneedles will occupy such positions that the eyes thereof Means isprovided for guiding or directing a thread through the alined eyes ofseveral needles mounted in the holder 9 and in the present embodiment ofthe invention this means is shown as constituting a separate element inthe form of a block 16 removably engageable with the eye ends of theseveral needles. This block is shown Vas cylindrical in form, but itwill be understood thatit is not necessarily limited to this form andmay be constructed in various other forms without departing from thepresent invention.

This block 16 is provided with a needle receiving passage 17 and leadingthrough each end'of the block 16 and into the needle pa'ssage 17 thereofthere is a tapered passage. These tapered passages are designated by thereference numerals 18 and 19. Extending radially of the tapered passage18, there is a slot or passage 20, which extends entirely through thewall of the block 16. .The tapered passage 19 may also be provided withsuch a passage, but as will be hereinafter explained such a slot orpassage in the wall of the Vtapered passage 19 is not necessary to thesuccessful operation of the device.

The extension 6 of the base 5'carries a standard or the like 22, whichserves as a mount for a spool of sewing thread, as shown in Figure 1,the spool being designated by the numeral 21. Y

In use, a plurality of needles are placed in the needle receiving slot11 of the needle holder, with their point ends downward, and in suchposition that the eyes of .the severalneedles will be in alinement witheach other in which position they will be retained by reason ofengagement of the resilient members 12 with the slightly flattenedportions 15 thereof. After the needles have been positioned as abovedescribed, the block 16 is positioned over the eye ends of the severalneedles, the needles being received in the slot 17 of said block. j Whenthe block 16 has been placed in the position described the axis of theopenings 18 and 19 will be in alinement with the axis of the eyes of thealined needles. If now a thread be passed into the tapered opening 18 ofthe block 16, it will, by the tapered wall of said opening 18, bedirected into the eye of the first needle to the right inFigure 1 andmay be passed through the eyes of all of the needles and throughV thetapered opening 19. The block 16 may now be removed simply by liftingthe same 0E from the upper ends of the needles during which operationthe thread is free to pass through the radial passage 2() in the wall ofthe tapered opening 18, the free end of the thread being drawn throughthetapered opening 19. Y

f Removal of the bloclr16 leaves the plurality of needles held securelyin the holder 7 by the resilient plates V12, with a single length ofthread passing throughthe eyes of all the needles. vAfter thread of thedesired length for one sewing operation has been drawn through the eyesof the several needles, the iirst needle at the left in Figure 1 may beremoved and the thread severed, leaving the remaining needles in placein the holder with a single length of thread passing through the eyesthereof. The operationof removing the lirst needle to the left ofvFigure1 may be repeated in lieu of re-threading a single needle, as is thegeneral custom, each time a new thread, is desired. After all of theVneedles have been Vremoved and used, they may bereplaced, and again bethreaded in the above described manner.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the presentinvention provides a novel means for simultaneously threading aplurality of needles, and retainingthem in their threaded conditionuntil used, thus materially saving time over re-threading a singleneedle 'each time a length of sewing thread has been consumed.

l/Vhile the invention has been illustrated in its preferred form it isto be understood that it is not to be limited to the form shown and thatit may be practiced in such other forms as rightfully fall within thepurview of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a needle threading device, a base member for supporting aplurality of needles upon their point ends, means embracing said needlesfor positioning the needles with their eyes in alinement, and means forguidingV a thread through the alined eyes of said needles, said lastmentioned means comprising a member having a slot for receiving the eyeends of said needles, and a tapered opening leading through one of itswalls to said slot. Y

`2.` In a needle threading device, a base member for supporting aplurality of needles upon their point ends, clamping means for engagingsaid needles and holding them in position with their eyes in alinement,and means for removably engaging the free ends of the needles carried bythe support, for guiding a thread through the eyes ofl said needles,said last mentioned means comprising a block having a needle receivingpassage therein, and a tapered` thread guiding opening passing throughone of the end walls of said block and leading intoV thev needlereceiving passage thereof.

3. A needle threader comprising means engaging the sides of a pluralityof needles adapted to hold them with their sides touching, meansengaging the ends of said needles to position them in said first namedmeans with their eyes in alignment, a spring pressed clampadapted toengage flattened portions of the needles and thereby to hold them withtheir eyes coaxial, and a funnel shaped guide adapted to guide a threadto and along the common axis of said eyes.

4. A needle threader comprising means engaging the sides of a pluralityof needles having flattened side portions, said means being adapted tohold them with their sides touching, means engaging the ends of saidneedles to position them in said rst named means with their eyes inalignment, a clamp adapted to engage the flattened portions of theneedles and thereby to hold them with their eyes'coaxi'al, and a funnelshaped guide adapted to guide a thread to and along the common axis ofsaid eyes.

Signed at New York, N. Y., this 21st day of 14`ebrua-ry, 1929.

ANNA C. LONGFELLOW.

